Facebook campaign launched to find Eastbourne man a kidney (From The Argus)

Facebook campaign launched to find Eastbourne man a kidney

5:30pm Wednesday 25th April 2012 in News

A Facebook campaign has been launched to find a kidney donor for a man who has been waiting for a transplant for seven years.

Nathanael Adams has to have four hours of dialysis at least three times a week and is hoping someone will come forward who will help him be able to live his life again.

The best chance of success is for Mr Adams, 28, to have a kidney transplant from a living donor but despite a wide hunt, a suitable candidate has not been found.

A Facebook page, called Please Help Nathanael Find a Kidney, is urging people to sign up to become donors and consider getting themselves tested to see if they are a match.

Mr Adams was born with malformed kidneys and needed his first transplant when he was three.

It lasted for 17 years and Mr Adams was able to enjoy a fit and active life, enjoying activities including windsurfing and cycling.

However the kidney eventually started to fail and Mr Adams began dialysis eight-and-a-half-years ago.

He was placed on the transplant list a year later.

Mr Adams, from Eastbourne, who is on a restricted diet because of his treatment, said: “I often don’t want to do anything after a dialysis session, except rest.

“I generally feel worn out most days, and can no longer manage to do things that I used to enjoy doing.”

An added complication is that in Mr Adams’s system there are a high number of antibodies – the body’s defence mechanism against foreign bodies, including a donated kidney.

It means he has to be matched very carefully and the person donating needs to be someone who has the same antibody level.

Mr Adams said: “To get another kidney would change my life dramatically.

“I’d hopefully be able to find myself a job, and go back to work, and generally enjoy all that life has to offer.”

Family friend Jo Bastable, who set up the page, said: “Nathanael is a very positive person and it has been very difficult to see him living half a life like this.

“He has been on dialysis for seven years now and I really wanted to do something to try to help.”

More information and advice can be found via the Facebook page.